A Jefferson Parish grand jury handed up an indictment charging a Metairie woman and her boyfriend with the d eath of her disabled, 7-year-old son after authorities say they intentionally left the child home alone for eight hours despite knowing he needed around-the-clock care.

Karla Padilla Pavon, 22, and Hovet Vela Espinoza, 49, were charged Thursday with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, Jefferson Parish court records said.

Padilla's son, Cristian Rodriguez Padilla, was nonverbal, had cerebral palsy and relied on a feeding tube, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Vela is not Cristian's biological father.

Sheriff's Office deputies and medical personnel were dispatched to the family's Mistletoe Street home in Metairie just before 9 p.m. April 19 after t

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